Ok, I will confess, admit and drop the veil, I’m a techy. I’m not saying anything new here. I heard the other day that the second “Back to the Future” movie with Michael J. Fox, depicted life in the future of 2015. Sobering thought isn’t it.
In the late 70’s, computers were on my mind. I was having trouble getting interested in what Intel had made, the microchip. But I did understand the possibilities. Finally I heard about two guys that had put together a complete mini-computer system, with video, storage and a comfortable keyboard. Before this, micro-chips were only curious expensive devices and possibilities.
The microchip was making noises, some music, controlled a few thermostats, traffic lights and a simple video game called Pong. There were a couple of computer boxes we programmed with toggle switches to flash interesting lights that represented numbers and math. We basically had addition and subtraction. I had to build my first computer from discrete parts that I scrounged from used electronics sales and Ham fests.
But Wozniak and Jobs, built a real desk top computer. The computer that Popular Science magazine had been promising we would be getting for the previous 30 years. Of course the magazines were also promising that we would have affordable flying cars by that time also. Woz’s electronic genius and Job’s business sense did bring us the affordable computing electronic “Flying Car” . They got the personal computer to the nerd techy market exactly on schedule.
I’m still waiting for my affordable Flying Car. 45 years late. Where’s my flying car! What’s wrong with you America, I want my flying car!
E.
DistantShipSmoke 